Do Americans live more for the convenience; while Europeans live more for the social living?

[sage seeker]

It's been decades since I lived in Europe, but given my years living there, I'd answer YES.

Americans are far less 'social' than we'd like to believe.

I now travel frequently to the Caribbean islands and to Southern USA states and find it totally different in terms of interactions amongst the denizens.

SAD I'd say.

I sometimes yearn for living in a small town where 'everybody knows your name'

One reason we may be different could be that we are not a homogenous group and way too diverse to have that inbred cultural pride...yes, we may be proud of being an American, but culturally/ethnically we are so different that few shared 'events'; rituals; pasttimes etc are ingrained in each of us...instead we partition off in groups wherein we feel most comfortable. Whereas my experience in Europe was more one of EVERY body did certain things of a social nature.

e.g., I learned to drive in France...learned with produce trucks and bikes and in the country with cows etc....never complained. It was part of the culture and I learned to appreciate it. I knew the vendors....food, wine, poultry, beef, seafood etc. I knew my neighbors [can't even tell you who my neighbors are now!]

When I lived in a town of 12,000 in New England and my cocker spaniel got lost, everybody in town knew who he was and came out to look for him.


When I lived in Italy and later France, regardless of race all denizens seemed to rally round many of the same leisure pursuits; held the same views on family; cherished friends and weekly outings with such and never seemed to let WORK take the front pew in their lives.

Over the years we've lost something of intrinsic value in our country and I pray we get it back.